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Women over 40, how do you lose weight?

Posted on Sep 4th 2008 11:00AM by Mary Kearl

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements

It's no secret that we're concerned about

keeping our metabolism fired up as we age, and keeping flat bellies, too. The real secret is, how do real women in their 40s and beyond do it? Do you count calories? Watch your carbs? Do you work out so you can eat whatever you want? Or, are crazy diets or weight loss supplements what work best for you?

Share you weight loss success story in a comment below. Whether you gained weight because of pregnancy or because of eating with partner with a faster metabolism and hearty appetite, we want to know how you've lost big. Or, if you've stayed the same size your whole adult life, tell us how you managed to do it.

9 Comment

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joan 9-04-2008 @ 1:15PM

I am 56 and dieting really doesn't work for me. I eat sensibly which means I try to have healthy balanced meals. I think the key to maintaining my weight is exercising. If I overindulge, I just add a little extra activity into my schedule. That could mean doing a chore (like vacuuming) after dinner so that I just don't sit after eating.
For me, it's much easier to be active than it is to deprive myself of food!

Amanda Burke 9-04-2008 @ 4:23PM

I totally understand what you're saying, Joan. Overindulgences were all too frequent for me and I felt so guilty after I went a little too far. However, I started working for Stacker 2 awhile ago and discovered their product, Appuloss Diet. The whole goal of Stacker 2 is to help people lose weight and in addition, increase energy (break out those running shoes!), regain control (bye bye, overindulgences!) and look GREAT! Feel free to check them out at www.stacker2.com. Also, keep in mind that results may vary and those under 18, pregnant or nursing should not use the product.

Tam 9-04-2008 @ 1:38PM

I'm 45 and have lost 80lbs over two years.
I switched to a high fiber, low fat and no simple
sugars lifestyle. I do cardio and interval training about
3 times a week. Moderate exercise I would say. My
stamina is amazing and the high fiber really keeps me full.
The Dr. said those 80 extra lbs was killing me. All my numbers returned to normal and I only have to lose 15 more. I started menopause at 38; so I kinda thought losing 100lbs would be impossible. NOT with Prayer though. Thank the Lord.

Sue 10-23-2008 @ 2:21AM

Thanks for sharing your success Tam. I'm 47 and need to lose about 80 pounds also. Your story is inspirational. I wish you could share more with me. I'm a Christian, so I thought it was cool that you allowed God to help you reach your goal.

Beth 9-04-2008 @ 3:37PM

I'm 43 and have weighed the same since losing the weight after my last pregnancy at 31. What I do: drink 2000 mL of fluid: water, plain hot herbal teas or coffee; exercise with weights 3-4 times a week depending on if I'm doing 3 full body or 4 split (2 upper, 2 lower) body weights, and do 30 to 60 minutes of cardio every day. I tend to listen to my body and if I feel like I need a day off intense cardio or weights, I take it. Even then though I'll do "functional fitness" activities like walking to the store, cleaning the house, or working out in the yard. I try to eat high fiber, fruits and veggies at every meal, and limit meat. Usually my husband and I will "clean up" the kids' plates if they left any meat. I do not deny myself sweets, but opt for single servings of Peppermint Patties, 3 Muskateers, and small portions of baked goods. If I "diet" all I want to do is eat, so I just try to eat healthy most of the time.

Yuri Elkaim 9-04-2008 @ 4:02PM

Whether you're young or older, the key to losing weight is healthy combination of resistance training (need to build the muscle especially as we age), cardio training, and healthy eating.

Eat better foods, eat less, and move more! It's a fairly straight forward formula.

Yuri
http://www.myFitterU.com

Jennifer8055 9-06-2008 @ 11:11AM

Hi,

I used to be pretty obese and started putting on a lot of weight especially on my thighs and bottom in my late thirties. I started exercising as often as possible and also cut down on a lot of high calorie stuff. Unfortunately I hardly managed to lose any weight at all. I then recently read an article by a lady who claimed that she managed to lose nearly half of her weight using a particular weight loss product. I tried it out and it actually worked really well. Within 4 months I managed to shave off 65 pounds completely. The results were pretty amazing and I feel so much healthier and energetic now without having to carry all that extra weight around. You can read more about the lady's article at the link below

www.obesityzapped.com

Julia Havey 9-09-2008 @ 8:48PM

I am working on a new book, specifically to answer this question!

What I can tell you is that every expert agrees on ONE thing that you have to do to lose weight over 40: exercise!

That is the only real common denominator that I have found.

I have also done a lot of research on Bio-identical horomones, HGH, energy products and more.

I know water, drinking 1/2 your body weight in fluid ounces a day will help tremendously, as will a diet rich in whole foods; fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains...

There is no quick fix!

I hope that helps!

Julia Havey
www.ViceBusting.com

jilliank 2-25-2009 @ 4:51PM

Hi everyone. We all know it's really hard.
You lose weight when calories taken in are less than calories burned. It's math, and I hated math in school. But as a 47 yr old mother of 2, math is now my friend. The trick isn't to only eat low calorie foods, but to keep your overall intake below what you burn. I have tried many diets that didn't work. Now I use Calorista to find lower calorie options of each food I want to eat, and this is a huge help in keeping my calories below what I burn in a day.